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Gibson
Wins First Pole Award; Mother Nature Prohibits Completion of Either
Race at Lonesome Pine
Coeburn,
Virginia (June 1, 2025) – Despite a moderately uncertain
forecast, the Super Cup Stock Car Series and Lonesome Pine
Motorsports Park staff optimistically pressed forward with
Saturday’s Fan Appreciation Night festivities.
With sunny skies throughout the afternoon, the outlook seemed
promising.
Hometown driver
Mitch Gibson, with guidance from another popular and successful
racer in the area from years past Caleb Holman on hand as crew
chief, paced both practice sessions and then set fast time in the
No. 35 Moyer Brothers Company / LDW Technologies / Amsoil / Jeffrey
Salyers Realty / Big City Band / 3000channels.com / Ashton Racing
Ford. The Virginian
became the second consecutive first-time Pole Award winner of the
season, circulating the 3/8-mile oval in 17.127 seconds and netting
him five bonus points.
After
a four-car redraw it was Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Damian
Payton, making his first SCSCS appearance in nearly three years,
slated to start out front in the No. 64 McElligott Performance and
Design / Cozy Cabins at Shady Grove / Payton Racing Chevrolet with
Gibson alongside. Unfortunately,
as pace laps commenced, rain began to fall and the field was brought
down pit road almost immediately under red flag conditions.
Despite all the
efforts that took place to dry the surface, including having a
couple of the local divisions that run on street tires hold their
main events first, precipitation persisted just enough to call the
remainder of the evening’s action.
SCSCS officials will be working out details with management
on a potential return visit to Lonesome Pine for later in the
season.
In
the meantime, competitors making the trip are awarded 40
“show-up” points for each green flag that was scheduled to have
been waved. This
interestingly results in a slight shakeup within the standings due
to Kingsport winner Ben Ebeling not being in attendance.
Defending champion Brent Nelson now is at the top with Gibson
moving within five points of the Petersburg, West Virginia driver
thanks to the Pole Award that was earned before the inclement
weather came.
“ShoTime” Mike,
who qualified second fastest and looked to have a contending No. 2
Eric Barber Enterprises Chevrolet, will head into the next event
only 15 markers back. Ebeling
falls to fourth with West Virginia’s Eric Barber and Larry Frame
close behind.
Warrington,
Pennsylvania’s Mike Senica was also ready to go in the No. 57
Odie's Oil / ASAP Energy Drink / Ashton Racing Chevrolet for his
first start of 2025 that will have to wait until another time.
It was the intention that nearby Abingdon, Virginia’s Jeff
Roark would take the wheel of that ride for the second race and as a
result received 40 points as well.
Nelson
and “ShoTime” Mike were the only two drivers present at Lonesome
Pine who have competed at the next venue, Ona Speedway, before.
The twin races in two weeks will be the first at West
Virginia’s only paved oval for the series since 2013.
“I think (one of)
the last times we went there we finished fourth,” the driver of
the No. 80 Precision Auto Collision / JEBCO / QH Design / Nelson
Motorsports Chevrolet recalled.
“If I remember correctly, (2019 SCSCS champion) Kevin
Kromer, one of our racers that we lost in the last year, he and I
had a good battle there along with Harvey Harrison.
I would really love to see (two-time past champion and 2012
Ona winner) Harvey come back and run with us and that’s actually
his home track.”
The Super Cup Stock
Car Series will have more driver quotes, content, and information
leading into the return to Ona Speedway on Saturday, June 14th
available at the official website supercupstockcarseries.com,
on Facebook (search Super Cup Stock Car Series), Twitter (@SCSCSRacing),
Instagram (SCSCS_Racing), and https://www.youtube.com/SCSCSRacing.
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